Bowling-alley-surfacing machine.



G. B. GONIA. BOWLING ALLEY SURFGING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED 020.21,1905. RBNBWBD APR. 5, 1909.

Patented N0v.16,1909.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

IIIJIIIIIIIIIIHIH .zwi/@05565:

G'. B. GNIA. BOWLING' ALLEY SUBPAING MACHINE. APPLIGATION FILED DB0. 21,1905. RBNEWED Ayn. 5, 1909.

Patented Nov. 16, 1909.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Imvewww zv/ogfe @2M/'CM fjgm'fy' GEORGE B. GONIA., 0F REVERE,MASSACHUSETTS.

BOWLING-ALLEY-SURFACING MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 16, 1909.

Application led December 21, 1905, Serial No. 292,744. Renewed April 5,1909. Serial No. 488,119.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE B. GoNIA, a citizen of the United States,residing at Revere, in the county of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts,have invented an Improvement in Bowling-Alley-Surfacing Machines, ofwhich the following description, in connection with the accompanyingdrawings, is a specification, like numerals on the drawings representinglike parts.

.My invention is a machine for surfacing bowling alleys and the likewhereby the unevennesses, roughness, etc. of a bowling alley maybereadily and quickly removed by a machine instead of by the ordinarylaborious sand papering and scraping by hand. To this end I haveprovided a frame carrying an evening device (preferably a roller coveredwith sand paper) which the operator pushes ahead of him and therebyautomatically trues up or levels the licor. The frame is quite heavy sothat it keeps the abrading surface of the roller hard pressed againstthe ioor, and in connection therewith I provide means for tilting theroller lengthwise and also means for varying the pressure by tilting theframe of the machine longitudinally.

The structural details of my invention and other advantages thereof willbe pointed out more at length in the course of the followingdescription, reference being had to the accompanying drawings in which Ihave illustrated` a preferred embodiment of my invention, and the latterwill be more particularly defined in the claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is 'a rear view of the machine, the handle andframe being broken away or sectioned, said figure showing the apparatusin position on a bowling alley floor; Fig. 2 is a left-hand endelevation thereof; Fig. 3 is a fragmentary view in top plan of the righthand end of the machine; and Fig. 4 is a fragmentary detail of theoperating roll showing the bearing thereof in cross-section.

Thile it will be understood that my invention is capable of a widevariety of embodiments, I prefer to employ a heavy substantiallyrectangular frame l on whose cross-beams 2 is mounted suitable drivingmeans, herein shown as an electric motor 3 connected by a belt or chain4 to a countershaft 5 journaled in the end frames 6 and provided with asprocket wheel driving a sprocket chain 8 in driving engagement with theshaft of a sand-papering roll 9 as clearly shown in Figs. 1 and 2. Theroll 9 is journaled at the extreme forward end of aprojecting leg orheavy bracket l() constituting a portion of the frame 1, and the latteris provided with a bail-like handle l1 so that when the operator graspsthe handle of the machine he pushes the machine forward and the rollergets the combined force of the pushing movement and the weight of theframe and motor while at the same time reaching to the very end of thealley floor before the main part of the machine arrives at that point.

The machine is supported on front rollers or wheels 12 and rear wheels13 on shafts 14, l5 whose ends are retained in vertical guides 16, 17formed in the ends of the frame as clearly shown in Figs. 1 and 2. Theshaft 14 of the front wheels rests against a journal box 13 held inproper adjustment by any suitable means as by a set bolt 19 operating ina long threaded bearing in the top of the bracket or projection 10. Thisadjustment permits the opposite ends of the shaft 14 to be independentlyraised or lowered, thereby correspondingly tilting the sand paperingroller 9. This is for the purpose of truing up or leveling a'floor whichmay be lower on one side than on the other. To permit the roll 9 toaccommodate itself freely to this adjustment, I provide the end of itsshaft with a ball bearing 2O mounted in a socket bearing 2l, as shownclearly in Fig. 4.

The shaft 15 which carries the rear wheels 13 is journaled in a heavycasting or bracket 22 extending in arched form upwardly at the middle ofthe rear end of the machine, as clearly shown in Fig. l, where it isprovided with a threaded boss 23 for receiving a heavy post 24 dependingfrom the main frame and operated by a hand-wheel 25 held againstlongitudinal movement by nuts 26, 2T. Raising or lowering the wheels 13correspondingly tilts the machine longitudinally on the wheels 12 asfulcra, thereby enabling the operator to bring exactly the desiredpressure upon the roll 9 according weight of 'said' frame and itsweighting driving-mechanism comes on said roll and wheels, and by havingthe rear end of said weighted frame mounted on a single intermediatepoint instead of at its corners, 1 am enabled to transmit with the mostefficiency the desired pressure to the abrading roll at either endthereof simply by adjusting the set-bolts 19 up or down, thereby tiltingthe abrading roll endwise'at the same time that the frame is tiltedsidewise. This threepoint support of the weighted frame, the wheels 12,12, constituting two separated supports at the opposite front corners ofthe frame and the post 24E constituting the third intermediate point, atthe rear, per mits the tilting or eective rocking of the frame by theadjustment of the bolts 19 with the result that a maximum amount of theweight of the frame and superposed mechanism is transmitted directly tothe abrading roll. Turning the hand wheel 25 so as to raise and lowerthe frame at its single rear intermediate point of support transmitsdirectly to the abrading roll the desired proportion of the weight ofthe frame and hence the desired amount of pressure distributed equallythroughout the length of the roll, whereas adjusting the bolts 19transmits to the abrading roll the desired proportion of the weight ofthe frame, and hence the desired amount of pressure, at one end of theabrading roll.

The supporting wheels 12, 13 of the machine are set in considerablyinside of the ends of the frame of the machine, and the operating` roll9 extends beyond said wheels, as clearly shown in Fig. 1. The purpose ofthis construction is to provide means for insuring that the floor willbe dressed evenly to its eXtreme edge. By having the roll carried infront of the machine I make certain that the floor will be dressed toits eXtreme end and by prolonging` the roll farther than the width-apartof the supporting wheels I make certain that the floor will be dressedto its extreme edge.

In order to keep the machine in proper longitudinal alinement with theedge of the alley floor as it is pushed lengthwise thereof, I providealining means coperating with the supporting wheels, herein shown asarms 2S carrying anti-friction rolls 29 at their eX- tremities forbearing against the return ball trough 30 and made adjustable by anysuitable means as by clamping bolts 31 and slots 32.

ln use the operator rst adjusts the alining arms 28 so as to bring theadjacent supporting wheels 12 and 13 close to the edge of the bowlingalley floor which is represented at 33. He then tilts the sand paperroll 9 to the proper angle to dress the floor to a level condition, bylowering or raising one or theV other 'of the wheels12` by the adjustingmeans 19; Next he turns the hand wheel 25 one way or the other so as totransfer the proper pressure of the frame and motor to the roll 9according to the condi-V tion of the floor. Having adjusted the machineproperly in the above respects, the operator simply raises the handle 11and pushes the machine forward. As he approaches the end of the alley,the roll 9 dresses the floor down, to the eXtreme end of the latterbefore the wheels have come dangerously near to the edge or end of thefloor. So likewise the floor is dressed to its eX- treme longitudinaledge as the machine is pushed along, because of the fact that the end ofthe roll 9 projects beyond the supporting wheels 12, 13, Fig. 1.

It will be understood that the various adjustments mentioned may beaccomplished by other equivalent means within the spirit and scope of myinvention, and, as already mentioned, other driving power than anelectric motor may be employed. Also while my invention is primarilyintended for surfacing bowling alleys, it will be understood that it isnot confined to this use, but may be readily adapted to general use in avariety of situations where analogous work or surfacing is required.

Having described my invention, what l claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent, is:

1. A machine of the kind described, comprising a frame, two sets ofsupporting wheels, and an abrading roll, combined with means forsimultaneously adjusting one set of said wheels with relation to theother set of wheels for varying the pressure transmitted by the frame tosaid abrading roll,

frame adjacent the opposite ends of said` abrading roll, and rearsupporting means at the rear of the frame, combined with means foradjusting one of said supporting means with relation to the othersupporting means for varying the pressure transmitted from the frame tosaid abrading roll, and means for independently adjusting said separatedwheels for varying the angle of said abrading roll with relation to thefloor.

3. A {ioor surfacing machine, comprising a frame weighted by superposedoperating mechanism mounted thereon, an abrading roll at the front ofthe machine, front separated supporting means adjacent the opposite endsof said roll supporting the front end of said frame at its oppositefront corners, rear supporting means supporting said frame at a singlepoint at the rear end of the frame, and means for raising the rear endof the frame with relation to said rear supporting means to transmitthereby the weight of said weighted frame directly to said roll forcontrolling the pressure of the latter on the floor.

4. A floor surfacing machine, comprising a frame weighted by superposedoperating mechanism mounted thereon, separated supporting meanssupporting the front end of said frame at it-s opposite front cornersand means supporting said frame at a single point at its rear end,whereby said weighted frame has substantially a three-point support, anabrading roll at the front of the machine, and means for transmittingthe weight of said weighted frame directly to said roll for controllingthe pressure of the latter on the floor, including` adjusting means forVarying the relative vertical height of said separated front supportingmeans for thereby varying the lengthwise pressure of said abrading roll.

5. A floor surfacing machine, comprising a frame, heavy operatingmechanism meunted on said frame as a means of weighting the same,separated supporting means arranged to support said weighted frame atthree points, two at the opposite front corners adjacent the endsrespectively of the abrading roll and one intermediately at the rear ofthe machine, an abrading roll extending transversely of the machineahead of said two front supporting means, and means for .t raising andlowering the machine at said intermediate rear support for increasingand decreasing the pressure of the roll on the floor by transferringthereto more or less of theweight of said frame.

6. A machine of the hind described, comprising a frame having two setsof vertical slots in its opposite sides, shafts mounted therein,supporting wheels journaled on said shaft inside of the frame,intermediate means rigidly supporting one of said shafts, a hand wheeland screw engaging said supporting means at one end and said frame atthe other end for simultaneously adjusting said shaft and its wheel-s,independent adjusting means for the opposite ends of said other shaftand its wheels, an abrading roll for engaging the floor as the machinetravels over the same on said supporting wheels, and means carried bysaid machine for operating said abrading roll.

7. In a machine for surfacing floors, a frame provided with a forwardlyprojecting end, an abrading roll mounted transversely by ball and socketbearings in"the forward extremity of said projecting end, separatedsupporting wheels mounted in the front of said frame immediately behindthe opposite ends of said roll respectively, supporting means at therear end of the frame, and tilting means operating' on said separatedsupporting wheels adjacent said abrading roll for independently raisingor lowering either of the front corners of the frame and thecorresponding end of said roll.

8. In a machine for surfacing floors, a portable frame provided withsupporting wheels and aV transversely extending abrading roll at one endof said frame, opposite alining devices projecting from one side of saidframe one at the. front and the other at the rear end of the machine,and adjusting means for shortening and lengthening said two aliningdevices.

9. In a machine for surfacing floors, a portable fra-me provided withsupporting wheels and a transversely extending abrading roll at one endof said frame, opposite independent alining devices projecting from oneside of said frame at the front and rear ends of the machine, eachalining device carrying an antifriction roll at its outer end, andadjusting means for separately shortening and lengthening said twoalining devices.

10. A. machine for surfacing floors, comprising a frame, an abradingroll at one end of said frame, supporting wheels adjustably mounted insaid frame close to said abrading roll, a set of connected supportingwheels at the opposite end of said frame, a heavy A-shaped castingsupporting said set of supporting wheels, and central adjusting meanspositively connected with the frame and with the upper end of saidcasting for positively adjusting said casting and its supporting wheelswith relation to said frame, for varying the pressure of said roll.

1l. A machine for surfacing floors, comprising a frame, an abrading rollat one end of said frame, supporting wheels adjustably mounted in saidframe close to said abrading roll, a set of connected supporting wheelsat the opposite end of said frame, a heavy A-shaped casting supportingsaid set of supporting wheels, and central adjusting means positivelyconnected with the frame and with the upper end of said casting forpositively adjusting said casting and its supporting wheels withrelation to said frame, for varying the pressure of said roll, and meansfor independently adjusting said first mentioned supporting wheels forvarying the pressure of the opposite ends of said roll.

12. ln a floor surfacing machine, in combination, a kmotor-supportingframe, a motor mounted thereon, rotatable wheels carried by said frameat its front end to support said end, rotatable wheels for supportingthe rear end of said frame, said rear supporting In testimony whereof, Ihave signed my wheels belng dlsconnected from the rear end name to thlsspeclcatlon, 1n the, presence 1) of 52nd frame to permlt movement of theof two Snbscmbmg Wltnesses.

rear end away from the floor While said front and rea-r end supportingWheels re- GEORGE B GONI' main thereon, and means to eifect the up-Vtnesses:

Ward movement of the rear end of said HARRr HAGER7 frame, substantiallyas described. GEO. H. MAXWELL.

